Bowling ball resurfacing apparatus

Abstract

A bowling ball resurfacing apparatus comprises a housing, first and second vertical support rollers mounted to the housing for rotation about parallel vertical axes, each of the vertical support rollers adapted to make contact with the surface of the bowling ball at one lateral bottom side of the bowling ball, first and second horizontal support rollers mounted to the housing for supporting the bowling ball in cooperation with the vertical support rollers, each of the horizontal support rollers rotatable about horizontal axes and adapted to make contact with the surface of the bowling ball at the other lateral bottom side of the bowling ball, drive motors for causing the support rollers to rotate, and a grinding-and-polishing wheel assembly for making frictional contact with the surface of the bowling ball to grind or polish the bowling ball.

1. A bowling ball resurfacing device, comprising:
 a housing; 
 a first and a second vertical support rollers mounted to the housing in a spaced-apart relationship with each other for rotation about parallel vertical axes, each of the vertical support rollers adapted to make contact with the surface of the bowling ball at one lateral bottom side of the bowling ball; 
 a first and a second horizontal support rollers mounted to the housing for stably supporting the bowling ball in cooperation with the first and the second vertical support rollers, each of the horizontal support rollers rotatable about horizontal axes and adapted to make contact with the surface of the bowling ball at the other lateral bottom side of the bowling ball; 
 roller driving means for rotating the first and the second vertical support rollers and the first and the second horizontal support rollers; 
 abrading-and-polishing means for making frictional contact with the surface of the bowling ball to abrade or polish the bowling ball while the bowling ball is in rotation. 
 
     
     
       2. The device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the abrading-polishing means include a lower wheel assembly installed at a lower portion of the housing to be rotated about a vertical axis, and in contact with the lower surface of the bowling ball to abrade or polish the lower surface of the bowling ball. 
     
     
       3. The device as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the lower wheel assembly includes a supporting plate, an abrading wheel attached to the supporting plate to move in the direction of approaching or spacing apart to/from the bowling ball, a spring for resiliently biasing the abrading wheel to the bowling ball, an annular polishing wheel attached to the supporting plate to move in the direction of approaching or spacing apart to/from the bowling ball, and disposed around the abrading wheel in concentric relationship, and a spring for resiliently biasing the polishing wheel to the bowling ball. 
     
     
       4. The device as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the polishing wheel is normally located more adjacent to the surface of the bowling ball than the abrading wheel. 
     
     
       5. The device as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the lower wheel assembly is installed at the housing to move in the direction of approaching or spacing apart to/from the bowling ball. 
     
     
       6. The device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the abrading-polishing wheel includes an upper wheel assembly installed at an upper portion of the housing to be rotated about a vertical axis, and in contact with the upper surface of the bowling ball to abrade or polish the upper surface of the bowling ball. 
     
     
       7. The device as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the upper wheel assembly includes a supporting plate, an abrading wheel attached to the supporting is plate to move in the direction of approaching or spacing apart to/from the bowling ball, a spring for resiliently biasing the abrading wheel to the bowling ball, an annular polishing wheel attached to the supporting plate to move in the direction of approaching or spacing apart to/from the bowling ball, and disposed around the abrading wheel in concentric relationship, and a spring for resiliently biasing the polishing wheel to the bowling ball. 
     
     
       8. The device as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the polishing wheel is normally located more adjacent to the surface of the bowling ball than the abrading wheel. 
     
     
       9. The device as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the upper wheel assembly is installed at the housing to move in the direction of approaching or spacing apart to/from the bowling ball. 
     
     
       10. The device as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising an abrading fluid supplying means for supplying an abrading fluid to the surface of the bowling ball.